Bed-couch



Dec. 19, 1950 w. F. SCHORN BED-COUCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1945 INVENTOR. William f. Sc/wrn,

Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to a bed-couch particularly of the folding type. It is a primary object to construct a folding bed-couch that may be folded rapidly to a flush position in a vessel wall, bulkhead, or cabinet fixed or portable.

- It is an object to provide a construction alter nately useful for either a bed or couch.

It is a further object to construct such device with a simple cantilever support requiring no adjustment of the bed element to be stable in both open and closed positions and having no depending legs or braces or suspending brackets, the absence of which eliminates necessity of adjustment, simplifies construction, provides maximum room beneath the bed in the open position, maximum safety to the user when the bed is used on a rolling ship or vehicle, and maximum ease of folding.

. In the drawings- Fig. 1 shows a fragmentary perspective view of the closed cabinet whenever the bed-couch is folded;

Fig. 2 shows a similar perspective of the opened bed-couch set for use as a couch with part of the cabinet walls broken away to show the construction thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the bed-couch in folded position partly in section to show arrangement of the folded parts looking in the direction of the arrows on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the opened bed;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the folding cover as it appears at the upper edge of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail in which the construction of the pivot is shown; and

Fig. '7 is an enlarged detail of a corner section of the bed showing arrangement of the braces and stop to hold the bed stable in open position.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10 indicates generally a bed-couch cabinet or a recessed wall or bulkhead containing a bed-couch. When a cabinet is used, as shown in closed or folded position of Fig. 1, the cabinet is constructed of ends ll, bottom l2, reinforced at the edges with plates l2 and back I3 and open front closed by the bottom of the bed l4, and a folding shelf top l5. When the cabinet is replaced by a recessed wall, the sides and top are the boundaries of the recess, the top being omitted and the bottom is the floor or deck, the bed construction being otherwise the same and fitted in the wall recess in a manner similar to that shown for the cabinet.

The sides of the cabinet are reinforced or stiffened with suitable bracing such as vertically placed channels, angle or T-irons 16, covered by protective sheathing ll.

The bed I8 is of any suitable construction and as shown may be made of metal frame members I9, bounding the sidesand ends, having bottom stifieners 20 extending from side to side. Interwoven resilient straps 2| are attached to a channel 22 welded or otherwise fastened to the side and end on frame members 19 to form a spring. Fitted within the boundaries of the frame [9, and mounted on the straps 2|, i a mattress 23 suitably fixed to the frame against movement when the bed is folded.

The bed is mounted lengthwise of the cabinet upon a pair of pivot members 24, shown in detail in Fig. 6, at the head and foot ends of the bed, respectively. The male portion of the pivot members are secured to an iron stiffener 25 welded or otherwise fastened to the frame interior, and are located off-center, i. e., about twothirds of the distance from the outer side of the bed, the exact position being fixed by necessity of obtaining correct stability and balance for easy folding as hereinafter explained. The channel 22 is discontinuous in the vicinity of the pivot (not shown) to allow easy access thereto. To rigidly fix the pivot pin, a nut 26 is welded to the angle iron 25 and the angle 25 as well as the frame member [9 are coaxially bored and threaded with the nut 26 to receive a partially threaded case hardened pivot pin 21 having a head 28 and smooth bearing surfaced shank 29 with an intermediate threaded portion 39. Suitable washers 3| may be placed intermediate the bolt head 28 and nut 26 for the firm fastening of the bolt 21. The opposite smooth end of the bolt 29 is mounted for rotation and support in bushings 32 suitably fixed respectively to the ends I l of the cabinet. These bushings are each provided with a recess 33 coaxially of the bushing to receive a coil spring 34 to resiliently space the bed from the cabinet ends ll.

Fixed to the back side of the bed frame member I9, is an angle iron 35 as shown in detail in Fig. 7. Horizontally aligned therewith and set in the rear cabinet wall I3 is a cooperating angle iron 36, forming a wall abutment adapted to be engaged by the angle 35 to retain the bed frame ina stable horizontal position. This engagement together with the pivots serves as a 3 cantilever bed support. The bed is thereby stably fixed in open position by the overbalancing weight of the outer extending portion of the bed without other fastening or supporting means.

A stop 31 is fixed at the bottom [2 of the cabinet for engagement by the angle 35 on the bed frame to prevent pivotal rotation ofthe bed beyond a vertical or closed position. It will also be apparent that each of these stops 36, 3'? and pivot 27 are suitably placed for cooperation, the exact position being determined by the weight and dimensions of the bed to give it firm canti lever support in the open position and overall balance in the closed position to allow easy rotation to and from open and closedpositions.

A cabinet cover is secured by hinges 38, shown in detail in Fig. 5 to thebottom edge of the outer side of the bed frame, when-in open position. The cover is constructed of a flat plate or board surrounded by a reinforcing frame 49 at the edges, all inclcsed' in metal sheathing ii. The cover :5 formsa rep er the cabinet in position and is folded back on the hinges; as" shown in Fig. 4; to me eat on the bettorn M of the bed when in open 'o tion, and there held by any suitable clip (not Shawn).- I

Extending from end to end of the'uppe-r' cabinet interior is asupport 52' upon which is fixed a shelf 43 which extends and is attached to the rear wall It of the cabinet. This shelf seives as' a; support for" the cover is when in closed posi tion.

By means of hinges" M secured to the support 42 altiltably adjustable back rest 01 the couch is" secured. The back piece is formedofa metallic ski-n or sheathing "it suitably braced by an" inner framework of channel irons M extending from end to endof the back, bound i'ntc a rigid network by cross ribs The'ia ce'mayb'e" of any suitable covering material'backe'dby conventionai upholstery padding- G9 which may be further resiliently supported by springs (not shown) or other conventional couch construction. Both ends of the back rest may be closed by metal sheathing 5% Several Dla'te'bracirets 5! are attached tothe underside of the shelf stand are'ce'ntrally boredwith axially aligned holesto receiveand rotatably support a shaft 52'. Mounted on the shaft for rotary ccntrol thereofis a ring gear 53; A-worm gear meshing with the ring gear 53 is'fixed to-a shaft 54 having a crank 55 for rotating the gears. Keyed-or otherwise attached to the'sha-ft 52 is an arm 56' which is suitably pinned to a' link 5?,

theinner endof which is rigidly fastened through a bracket tothe sofa back-d5.

Thus it will be seen that'the construction. described provides aportable'or stationary cabinet, or recessed wall or bulkhead wherein an easy folding bed-couch is mounted tofill the recess or cabinet in a; neat substantially flushfit. For easy folding the bed is supported on a pair of aligned fixed pivots between the bed' and stationary walls, placed cit-"center betweenthe sides of the bed to form a stable cantilever support between the pivots and upper and ldwer stops cooperating \viththe inner side'of" the bed to hold it in a rigidly open position by the weight-of the outer side of thebed acting in cantilever against the upper stop'thre'ugh the ivots;

In operation to open the bed; if cabinet is used, the top it will be first swungopen on hinges 38and clipped to the bottom of the bed 4; The bed-will then be pulled forward and will swing inan arc on pivots 24 until= the channel on;-

4 the bed frame l9 engages the stop 36 to sto the downward motion and retain the bed in horizontal position.

If the bed is to be used for sleeping, the sofa back will be allowed to remain in it folded position, as shown in lower dotted lines of Fig. 4. Ifthe bed is to be converted to acouch, the sofa back is adjusted to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 by manually rotating the crank 55,

' which acts through shafts 5d and 52, through worm and ring gears 53 and arm and link 55 and 51', attached to the sofa back. Through this mechanical linkage arrangement, the sofa back may be adjusted forward and backward to any comfortabl'e position, or may be returned into the cabinet to make up the bed for sleeping 01 folding, or may be moved far upward and outward of the cabinet for cleaning or other purposes as shown in the upper dotted line position of Fig. 4.

In folded position it will be noted that the bed is retained by the lower stop 3? cooperating with the angle 35 on the side of the bed frame I9. In this position the sofa back i receded and the bed fits neatly thereover.

Thus is provided a simple, neat mechanicalarrangementof a bed-couch operable easily without adjustment. It has no depending legs and no protruding braces or wall sockets gives a flush wall fit; and has a clear space under the bed for easy cleaning or storage.

Various modifications will be suggested to one skilled in the art, for example the bed described can be made duplex as an upper and lower berth, and folding arm rests can be attached to the sofa back, it being intended that thespecifi'c description given above be merel exemplary of the invention-and not limitative except as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A foldable' bed-couch comprising upright" supports having a bed frame and a couch back pivotally supported thereby, means cooperating with said bed pivotal means providing a cantilever support for said bed, and means to adjust the angle of suspension of the couch back into cooperative relationship with said bed to provide a side therefor and into cooperative rela-' tionship with said bed to utilize a portion of said bed as a seat in conjunction with said couch back. 2'.-A cabinet adapted to inclose and pivotally support a foldingbed, a folding bed comprisinga frame having" an inclosing bottom and fixed pivots in opposite ends" thereof positioned intermediate the longitudinal axis and the side of the bed nearest the back wall of the cabinet, sup ports for said pivots in opposite vertical ends of said cabinet, stop means fixed in said cabinet'to stop the pivotal movement of the bed in verticalclosed and horizontal open positions; one of said step means and said pivots cooperating to form the sole bed support in open position, and the bottom of-said bed cooperating with said cabinetto form the front wall thereof when the bed is pivoted into'v'ertical closed position.

3. A cabinetadapted to inclose and support a in open" position; the'bottom of said bed in' ver- 5 tical closed position cooperating with said cabinet Number to form a front wall therefor, and a cabinet top 416,010 member pivotally fastened to the outer bottom 491,080 edge of the bed and foldable over the side of the 814,286 bed when in vertical closed position to form a 5 988,497 top for said cabinet. 1,198,480 WILLIAM F. SCHORN. 1,268,099 1,287,486 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent: Number UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 223 Number Name Date 505:341

354,729 Montgomery Dec. 21, 1886 15 Name Date Osgood Nov. 26, 1889 Conant Feb. 7, 1893 Harris Mar. 6, 1906 Owen Apr. 4, 1911 Richardson Sept. 19, 1916 Davis June 4, 1918 Smith Dec. 10, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Sept. 11, 1889 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1929 Germany Aug. 18, 1930 

